My thoughts on the Phillies season.

The Phils back up Cole Hamels with enough runs as they shut out the Dodgers, 2-0.

The Phils scored enough runs to back up a strong six-hit performance by Cole Hamels as they shut out the Dodgers, 2-0.

The Phils and the Dodgers spent the first four and one-half innings in a pitchers’ duel, as Phils’ starter Cole Hamels pitched five shut out innings, giving up just two hits, while striking out six, while Dodgers’ starters and Phils’ regular season nemesis Hiroki Kuroda pitched four shut out innings up to this point, giving up a hit and a walk, as he struck out six. Then, with two men out and with no one on, Michael Martinez got on base with a two-out triple, soon followed by a walk to Hamels, putting runners on the corners. Then, with Shane Victorino batting, with a 2-1 count, Huroki threw a wild pitch, which allowed Hamels to go to second base, but Martinez stayed on third. Victorino is then intentionally walked to load the bases, before Dom Brown finally ended the inning by flying out to right. After Hamel pitched a 1-2-3 top of the sixth, the Phils finally ended the 0-0 tie in their half of the sixth as, with one man out, Ryan Howard hits a solo home run, his thirteenth home run of the year, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Dodgers then tried to tie the game up in the seventh as Andre Ethier began the inning off with a double, before stopping at third on Matt Kemp’s single, putting runners on the corners, with nobody out. Hamels got out of the inning by first getting Juan Uribe to pop out to the second baseman for out number one, then striking out Marcus Thames swinging for out number two, before finally ending the inning by getting Rod Barajas to pop out to shortstop. The Phils then added a run in their half of the seventh as, with a man on third, and with one man out, Victorino, who had earlier tripled, scored on a fielder’s choice grounder to second baseman Jamey Carroll by Brown, beating the thrown to home, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead, while Brown would be safe at first. The Dodgers again threaten to score in the eighth as, with runners on the corners, via a pinch hit single by Aaron Miles, and an infield single by Casey Blake, while Miles would stop at third on Placido Polanco’s throwing error. But, Hamels would get out of trouble by getting Ethier to ground out, 3-1, for the inning’s final out. Ryan Madson then recorded his fourteenth save of the season by putting down the Dodgers in the ninth.

Coel Hamels (8-2, 2.58) got the win as he went eight innings, giving up six hits, while striking out nine. Ryan Madson collected his fourteeth save of the season, giving up a hit. Hiroki Kuroda (5-7, 3.35) took the lost as he pitched five and a third innings, giving up a run on four hits and three walks, while striking out seven. Mike MacDougal pitched two-thirds of an inning, walking a batter, while striking out one. Matt Guerrier pitched an inning, giving up a run on a hit, while striking out one. Josh Lindblom pitched a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter.

The Phils had only five hits in the game, a triple by Shane Victorino, a single by Placido Polanco, a home run by Ryan Howard (RBI), a double by Raul Ibanez and a triple by Michael Martinez. Dom Brown knocked in the other Phil run on a fielder’s choice grounder, as Victorino beat the throw home. The Phils once again had few hits, but this time they were able to score enough runs to win the ballgame.

The Phils (37-25, 1st East) with begin a four-game series with the Cubs (24-36, 5th Central), starting with a night game tomorrow night at Citizens Bank Park. The game will start at 7:05 pm EDT. The Phils will send to the mound Kyle Kendrick (3-4, 3.78), who is coming off a lost against the Pirates on June 4, as he went five innings, giving up four runs on eight hits, in the Phils’ 6-3 lost. Kendrick will be trying to do better than he did in his previous start. The Cubs will counter with Randy Wells (1-1, 5.74), who is coming off a no-decision against the Cards on June 4, as he pitched five and two-third innings, giving up four runs on three hits and a walk, while striking out one, in the Cubs’ 5-4 lost. He will be going for his second win of the season. The Phils will be trying to start their next home series with a win.

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